Finding the right questions to ask in an interview can be hard. You somehow have to encompass the responsibilities of a given position into a series of questions. You need to see how they respond to challenge, but also do not want to push too hard. Here is our advice when hiring in the credit department
Finding a great credit professional can be a challenge. They both must understand the business and financial aspect, but also be personable and work well with customers. Someone with an accounting background may be great with numbers, but may not be personable enough to handle the customer-facing side
Standard, basic questions like education and work history are found on the resume’ itself. So unless something is missing that you want to know, don’t waste your time with what you already have in front of you. Be specific. We like questions like:

• Are you able to analyze cash flow and liquidity reports?
• Can you tell a customer “No” without angering them or losing them entirely?
• Have you ever faced a tough credit decision that the sales team disagreed with?
• How would you discuss a credit hold situation with a valued customer?
• How would you handle a scenario where a customer begins to raise their voice at you?
• How would you handle a customer who wants to go over your head to a superior?
• What tasks do you know you will delegate to someone else and why?

Of course, the candidate with knowledge of your industry puts them ahead of the pack. Try a “How would you handle this [____],” kind of question. Insert a real-life scenario you’ve encountered. Leave out the names of course, but set up the situation as it happened to you. This will not only test their knowledge of your industry but will give you an opportunity to see how they think.
Another important thing to consider is how they sound. It may seem superficial, but it is important that credit professionals come off as personable and trusting when communicating with customers. Knowing all the right answers is great, but it is equally as important that they are able to communicate with customers well.
A great credit manager can be hard to find, but asking the right questions can help you narrow down your search and hopefully hire the right person.